Art Modell dies Browns/Ravens Owner

quote:Modell was among the most important figures in the NFL as owner of the Cleveland Browns, which became the Ravens after he took the team to Baltimore in 1996 in a move that tarnished his reputation as one of the league's most innovative and influential owners.

The Ravens won their lone Super Bowl in January 2001, less than a year after Modell sold a minority interest of the team to Steve Bisciotti. In April 2004. Bisciotti completed purchase of the franchise but left Modell a 1 percent share.

During his four decades as an NFL owner, Modell helped negotiate the league's lucrative contracts with television networks, served as president of the NFL from 1967 to 1969, and chaired the negotiations for the first the collective bargaining agreement with the players in 1968.

Modell righted the greatest injustice in NFL history, the robbery of football from Baltimore. Cleveland was guaranteed a new team the very next day and was able to keep the Browns colors and history. Frankly, they have no idea what it's like to be a Baltimore Colts fan.

Modell didn't sneak off in the middle of the night. He told Cleveland what he was going to do. And then he did it. They just didn't believe him.

quote:Cleveland was guaranteed a new team the very next day and was able to keep the Browns colors and history.

If I remember right, Baltimore was very much in favor of that deal because they didn't want to be like Indianapolis.

Interestingly enough, the Colts threatened to move to Cleveland in 1997 and Modell supported the idea, because that would have forced them to become the Browns. Then he could have grabbed the Colts name and logo.

quote:If I remember right, Baltimore was very much in favor of that deal because they didn't want to be like Indianapolis.

Yup. Modell also wanted to leave the Browns history in Cleveland. He didn't fight the idea at all. Unlike the Irsays, who were fighting Baltimore getting the Colts name all the way up until the Ravens played their first game. They wouldn't even let us name our CFL team the Colts.